Vanilla and Pumpkin
by n00dl3gal
Summary: SPOILERS AHEAD! Gloyd Orangeboar never really fit in... but he finds a kindred spirit in the most unlikely of places: Vanellope von Schweetz. Mild Gloyd x Vanellope, or Vanilla Pumpkin shipping as I call it (hence the title). More friendship than romance. Rated K plus just because Vanellope gets a little out of sorts. Continued by popular demand.
1. Part One

Hello everybody, welcome to my first friendshippy fluff that burns my soul for writing it. **Identity** is coming along slowly but surely, and trust me it will be angsty and coarse and NOT FLUFFY AT ALL. But this? Ah, this is my special gift. After watching the absolutely HAMAZING film Wreck-It Ralph, I had the idea for this little gem- my longest oneshot ever. Thanks once more to Konpeki Rei, my beta reader of excellence. (Also, good new fellow Piridi fans- ALFWP is up and running!) Without further ado, and no legal rights to the characters, I present the new shipping of WIR: Vanilla Pumpkin.

* * *

An avatar's code contains details on every aspect of said character's life and back story with one vital omission. Programmers never set down bits and bytes telling the PCs' friendships or love interests. _Why __bother__? _they think. _They__'__re __computer __programs__. __They __don__'__t __have __emotions__._

Oh, how wrong they are. Video game characters have just as much personality as the next human being, if not more so. This means that affection of all strengths and types can- and will- flourish. Such is the case for one of the adorably cavity-inducing racers of Sugar Rush, the boy known to most of the real world's gamers as "Pumpkinhead," but in reality was named Gloyd Orangeboar.

. . .

Before the days of King Candy, Gloyd got along well with his fellow speedsters, especially the princess- Vanellope Von Schweetz. Something about the raven-haired monarch made him feel happy, but being designed to look and act as a ten-year-old, he didn't understand why. All he knew for certain was that the little ruler of the Dessert Kingdom enjoyed his pranks, occasionally even helping him pull tricks on Rancis. This wonderful time didn't last, however- merely two weeks after being plugged in, something changed. Gloyd forgot about his fun with Vanellope, now an outcast, now the target of his mischief. Yet each time he picked on the "glitch," he felt a pang of remorse, and he couldn't explain the reasoning behind it.

. . .

It wasn't until that fateful day, when Wreck-It Ralph came and unleashed chaos throughout Sugar Rush, that Gloyd understood the true extent of his feelings. Although shocked like the other drivers at Vanellope's entrance to the Random Roster Race, he also felt a surge of pride when he looked at her "kart." It may not have been high-quality or even motorized, but it was impressive for such a small child to make on her own. But later, when Taffyta decided to destroy her vehicle after the pixelating girl's "friend" destroyed the track, he agreed. How could he say no? It would look suspicious, after all. So he kicked and punched at the tiny pushcart, harder than any of the other bullies, each hit sending a shiver down Gloyd's spine. He just attacked harder. All the while, he kept thinking to himself _She__'__s __a __glitch__. __Don__'__t __feel __bad __about __this__. __She__'__s __ruining __your __chances __of __winning__. __She__'__s __a __glitch__. __A __glitch__. __She __shouldn__'__t __be __pitied__. _His face showed only a mask of determination, up to the point when Ralph scared the kids away. Gloyd drove off, tears in his eyes from sympathy, hatred, and anger.

. . .

What Gloyd didn't know was that on the few days she didn't attempt to hijack the competitions, Vanellope would hide and watch him race, silently cheering him on. Something about the Halloween-themed boy intrigued her. Perhaps it was the fact he was a bit of an outcast, too- rarely picked by players due to his somewhat awkward stats, often excluded from hanging out with the other avatars after his pranks went too far. She also felt as if there was a memory, deep in the back of her code, telling her he was a friend. But that couldn't be. She was a glitch. He was a genuine racer. She had no friends, and never would.

. . .

Gloyd never had a chance to tell Vanellope he liked her new kart. The crazy-messy design was appealing to him for some reason. _It __suits __her__,_ he said to himself. Before he got to share this sentiment, however, the starting horn had blared and the race was on. Despite quickly falling into one of the last spots, he saw Vanellope up in the lead on the Jumbotron, and cheered for her in his mind. At least until the cy-bugs attacked. Then his only rational thought was something among the lines of _I__'__m __going __to __die __I__'__ve __got __to __get __out __of __here__! __Ack__! _Gloyd kept this train of thinking for quite some time, up to the point when he ran out towards Game Central Station and turned around, only to see Vanellope being rejected by an invisible barrier to safety. He began to go back to aid the error in programing, but was swept away in a sea of candied spectators and colorful pre-adolescents.

. . .

Fortunately, the previously villainous Wreck-It Ralph managed to prevent the sugary landscape from total annihilation. After being filled in on the news of King Candy's true identity from Calhoun, he watched with bated breath as Vanellope rolled across the finish line. In a flash, all of Gloyd's memories of teasing Rancis with the sweatshirt-wearing sprite came back. He was savoring these recollections, eyes closed, when he heard the word "...execution." The command dripped from Vanellope's tongue, and he fell to his knees in anguish. "I DON'T WANNA DIE!" he screamed, alongside the other racers, when he heard an obnoxious laugh come from the newly-re-sanctioned ruler. He pulled his face from his hands and gasped. Being a child, Gloyd didn't have a great understanding of beauty. But Vanellope, decked out in her regal garb, floored him. She was the first thing he ever considered beautiful.

It was a week after this event that our story begins.

. . .

Gloyd and Vanellope didn't instantaneously regain their previous alliance. It's hard to befriend someone who had previously been your adversary for years. However, a week after the Wreck-It Affair, as it came to be known, Gloyd retrieved all of the courage he had and knocked on the door to the princess'- er, President's- castle. As per his duty, Sour Bill answered the summon. "Yes?" he asked in his monotone fashion.

"Er, hi. I'm Gloyd..." began the brunette.

"Yes, I know," Bill sighed in return. "I take it you want to see Miss Von Schweetz?" Gloyd nodded rapidly. "Please wait a moment." The door slammed shut, and after a cry of "VANELLOPE! THIS KID WANTS TO SEE YOU!", it re-opened to reveal the sarcastic leader. "Yeah? Gloyd?" she asked, sucking on the licorice ties to her sweatshirt.

Gloyd, in response, instantly developed a orange blush across his cheeks. "H-Hey, Vanellope," he stuttered, wondering why he was so nervous. "You busy?"

"Nah. Why, have something in mind?"

The boy nodded again, this time a bit more calmly. "Yeah. I was gonna go trick Candlehead into burning her hair. Wanna help?"

Her black ponytail bobbed in approval. "Anytime. Seriously. I'd do anything to get out of this pink nightmare." She paused as Sour Bill yelled back "SALMON!" for the umpteenth time. "C'mon, let's go," she finished, hopping into her kart. Gloyd did the same and together they drove to prank Taffyta's accomplice.

. . .

"THAT WAS AWESOME!" Vanellope squealed as the pair zoomed away from a still-smoldering Candlehead. "I haven't pranked anybody in years!"

"Isn't it great?" Gloyd called to her, honking the horn on his candy-corn-kart. "Pranking is the best thing ever!" Vanellope sent a gigantic grin in his direction after his exclamation. Once they had pulled into the driveway of the castle, he lifted his goggles and smiled. "Wanna hang out again tomorrow?"

"Of course!" she answered. "I'll see you as soon as the arcade closes, OK?" The boy nodded and sped away, his lips stretched to their limits. He started to plan the next day's joke- something involving Rancis, a piece of Pocky, and bucket of water.

. . .

It didn't take long for the pair to develop a reputation as some of the most ruthless tricksters this side of a console. No one was spared from their amusements- not the NPCs, not the avatars, not even each other. Vanellope lost count of how many mornings she would wake up to find her kart stuck to the ground with chewed gum. Likewise, Gloyd found himself victim to quite a few depantsings, much to his chagrin. But these pranks never hurt their friendship. In fact, after a mere two months, the pair of racers were nearly inseparable- when Litwak's was closed, at least. It was then that Vanellope gave Gloyd a proposition.

"Wh-what? A trip... outside our game?" he asked with a shiver.

Vanellope rolled her eyes. "What's the big deal? I go all the time."

"Well, yeah, but you have a reason to! You're visiting Ralph! I don't have any need to leave Sugar Rush," he explained hurriedly. Vanellope scoffed and replied with a "ah, c'mon, please?" but Gloyd held firm. "I'm not leaving. You can go, but the last thing I wanna do is see that digital one-man demolition derby again. I'm afraid he'll bash my skull in," he admitted.

Vanellope refused to accept defeat, however. She pulled out her secret weapon- the puppy eyes. In a matter of five seconds, Gloyd had sighed "all right, I'll come, but just this once!" and she had glitched by accident for the first time in weeks. She was so happy, she couldn't prevent from pixelating seven feet to the right. The joy was contagious, and soon the orange jacket-clad boy was beaming as well.

. . .

All things considered, Gloyd and Ralph's formal introduction went fairly well. Yes, Ralph broke the racer's hand when the veteran villain attempted to shake his hand, but Felix lived up to his name and healed it. Gloyd managed to keep any insults he wanted to spew to his thoughts alone- and whispers to Vanellope, who with each would stomp on his foot. Despite the pain in his toes, Gloyd found himself enjoying his time in the retro game, and couldn't help but admire Mary's baking skills. Her cake rivaled that of Sugar Rush, which is no easy feat. He almost found himself upset as dawn came, prompting a return to the speedway for the Random Roster Race before the arcade opened. Still, nothing could prepare him for the feeling of Vanellope dragging him towards Game Central Station and then home. Or maybe just the feeling of her hand in his.

. . .

The next night, Friday, Vanellope offered to take Gloyd out again. Out of their game, of course. They weren't... It was ludicrous to suggest... "What the heck, man?" Gloyd asked with a furious orange blush. "It's not a date! Ju-just shut up!"

Swizzle Malarky just laughed harder. "Oh man, you should see your face! It's priceless!" Rancis, on the other hand, replied with the classic playground chant of "Vanellope and Gloyd, sitting in a tree, K- I- S- S- I-" before the pumpkin-wearing child smacked them both upside the head. The two mocking boys left, still guffawing at Gloyd's mutterings of not having a crush on Vanellope.

Because Gloyd was _ashamed__. _Was it really that obvious? Was it really clear to Rancis and Swizz that the brunette kinda _liked_ Vanellope? Not that he would want to kiss her, ew, no way. Girls have cooties, remember? _Except __Vanellope__, _Gloyd thought, _she__'__s __too __awesome __to __have __cooties__. _Still, kiss her? No way. Never in a million years. She would kill him if he dared to try.

. . .

Meanwhile, in the castle on the other side of the tracks, Vanellope was pacing before her kart. What was she thinking? Taking Gloyd to Tapper's? Ralph would _kill _them! And who knows how Gloyd would react to seeing Zangeif for the first time? Yet she was still overly excited for the date- no, not a date, it's not a date, that's stupid. It's just two friends hanging out. Yeah. Friends. _Friends__... _Vanellope thought.

_Friends__. __That__'__s __what __we __are__. __Just __friends__. __And __that__'__s __good__, __right__? __But __then__... __then __why __does __that __make __me __angry__?_

. . .

The pair walked towards the train leading to the premier watering hole of PCs everywhere- Tapper's, the world's best bartending quarter-muncher. Granted, it was a limited market, but it's still an accomplishment. Gloyd and Vanellope took their seats on the railcar, neither looking at each other, both fidgeting with their clothes. Finally arriving at the bar after the agonisingly long and silent ride didn't help much either. The joint was nearly empty, a rare occasion. Usually half of the characters in the arcade were here. And on a Friday no less? Truly bizarre. The only other people in the room save for the racers and Tapper himself were Pac-Man in the corner demolishing peanut after peanut and Chun-Li, who was looking at a very nearly passed-out Ryu coyly, her legs stretched to showcase her infamous thighs. Tapper looked up from the glass he was polishing and waved. "Vanellope, sweetie! Where's Ralph? And who's your friend there?"

The black-haired girl made her way to the counter. "Yo, Tapps. This here's Gloyd, one of my citizens. I think Ralph's at a Bad Anon meeting." Tapper nodded and peered at Gloyd, who then

felt suddenly quite out of place. He climbed up on the bar stool and a brown beverage with a creamy white foam on top appeared before him.

Tapper winked and said, "Try it, boy. It's Vanellope's favorite. Think you might like it, too." The boy took a tentative sip then began to slurp down the goodness that was known to the real world as a root beer float. Vanellope sighed at the taste.

"Dang, that's good vanilla," she declared.

"Best vanilla in the world!" Gloyd agreed, then laughed at the ice cream mustache on Vanellope's upper lip. She licked it off, and laughed too.

. . .

Hours passed, and Gloyd feared the worse. Vanellope hadn't stopped after two floats like himself- no, she kept on going, currently working on her fifth. The soft drink must have been affecting her code, as she was glitching all across the bar, dancing on top of the tables, and poking an unconscious Ryu with a straw. Gloyd glanced at the clock- it was nearly six in the morning, and the arcade opened at nine am! They had to get back to Sugar Rush for the Random Roster Race! Not that Gloyd had to, he hadn't won yesterday as a playable character, but Vanellope had. She was top pick for first place again. But in her condition... in her condition, she would probably end up destroying the entire game. Finally, Gloyd had enough. He grabbed Vanellope's wrist and spun her around to face him. "That's it, Vanel." Vanel- that was his nickname for her. He hadn't used it since King Candy took over. "We're going home, and I'm racing in your place at the triple R," he demanded.

Vanellope's eyes rolled out of focus, her smile drooped. "Oh, lighten up Orangeboar, it's fiiiineeee!" she squealed.

He shook his head and began to tug her elbow. "No. We're going back to Sugar Rush. Come on."

"But why can't I race?" she moaned, head lolling onto his shoulder as they climbed into the traincar.

He blushed at how close she was, but he didn't have time to dwell on that. "You're too out of it. Let's... let's just go, OK?"

Vanellope nodded wearily and began to snore. Gloyd sighed and inhaled. He caught a whiff of the scent of vanilla. It seemed to be radiating from Vanellope's whole body. The smell rivaled that of the vanilla of Tapper's root beer floats.

. . .

"It's... unprecedented, but I'll allow it," Sour Bill said after a lengthy pause. "Go get into position. I'll see if I can't get her up." Gloyd thanked the butler and rushed to the starting line, hopping into his candy corn kart with pleasure. Sour Bill had allowed him to race in Vanellope's place today. If he won, Vanellope would be a playable character. If not, they both got the day off. Not a fair deal, it may seem, but the thing is Gloyd was never exactly... popular. Despite having some serious speed (it was rivaled only by Minty's), his steering was greatly sacrificed in return. Not to mention his high sweetness level made him a frequent target for Sweet Seekers. It took a skilled driver to control him- and most gamers weren't all that skilled. The chance to even race just a little was a big deal for him. He pulled down his visor and revved his engine.

This was going to be good.

. . .

"And Orangeboar takes the lead from Taffyta! They're headed for the final stretch- just past Diet Cola Mountain!" the Gobstopper commentator screamed into his microphone, jolting awake a still slightly glitchy Vanellope.

"Gloyd?" she slurred, looking up at Sour Bill's frown.

"Oh good, you're alive. Yes, Orangeboar took your place in the race. You were out cold, President. How are you feeling?" he asked with little emotion.

Vanellope shook her head, clearing the cobwebs, struggling to recall the previous night. "Fine. A little dizzy, I guess. But... Gloyd's in the lead?" She jumped up, looking out at the Jumbotron. "Oh my gosh, he is! Go Gloyd! You can do it!"

But it seemed that he may not do it after all. Taffyta's not going down without a fight. Cherry Bombs, Sweet Seekers, the whole shebang- attack after attack struck Gloyd's kart. He was a mere mile from the finish line when Taffyta pulled ahead, laughing with victory.

That's when Gloyd remembered his secret weapon. Trick or Treat. He pressed the button on his dashboard. Suddenly a power up box appeared in front of the pink racer, who proceeded to head towards it with glee. Just as the nose of her kart bumped it, however, it exploded. A Trick- a Cherry Bomb- disguised as a Treat- a power up box. Gloyd knew what was happening yet he still couldn't fully comprehend the words he was hearing.

"And it's Gloyd Orangeboar by a nose! What a show, folks!"

First place. _First __place__!_ This was huge! Not only would Vanellope be able to race, but the first place winner's pre-saved demo data would be featured on the console! Gloyd smiled and waved at the crowd, hardly believing the cheers of his name. A force slammed into his back and he let out an "oof."

"Congratulations Gloyd!" cried the attacker- Vanellope. Gloyd wiggled himself around so he was facing the tiny president. "You won!"

"We won," he corrected, wrapping his arms around her in turn. "You get to race today."

She looked up at him with a frown. "No I don't. I didn't race. This was _your _victory, Gloyd. You're the featured racer, not me."

Gloyd stammered for a bit. This was... Gloyd had never been the featured racer before. Did Vanellope even fully understand what she had just done? This could be the opportunity he had been waiting for since being plugged in. The opportunity to be a popular racer. He couldn't think of words to fully address his emotions, so he did the next best thing.

He kissed her.

Not on the mouth, of course. That would have been absolutely disgusting to young Gloyd. Mouths, after all, are the origin of cooties. But rather a little peck on the cheek, which drew wolf whistles from the crowd and a shocked gasp from Vanellope. Gloyd blushed a fiery orange, watching as she babbled just as he did a moment ago before grinning brightly and hugging him tighter. There were no need for any conversation. It was just two friends sharing a happy moment together. Two best friends, the pumpkinheaded freak and the previously hated glitch. And maybe, just maybe, there was something deeper in the little, chaste kiss. Of course, neither Gloyd nor Vanellope were thinking about that. They didn't think about what might be and what might happen. They only thought about how great vanilla and pumpkin went together as a team.

The End

* * *

Aww, yet eww. So much fluff. It bleeds!

Finally, before I bid you adieu: why is the most popular shipping for Gloyd with Rancis? I mean, RANCIS of all people? I ask you. What kind of world do we live in if one of the most popular shippings for a _children's movie_ is a yaoi pairing of _two ten year _olds_?_

It kinda makes you think.


	2. Part Two- Cavities

So, due to popular demand, I have decided to continue this saga of young crushes and friendship. Truthfully, it's a ton of fun to write. Plus it gives me an excuse to cuddle with my new Gloyd plushie. ;-)

Please note that, because of my early plans to have this story remain a oneshot, the relationship between our main characters will be much more subdued and friendly than in the last part. Bear with me, it'll get better in part three.

Many kudos to Konpeki Rei, one of the best beta readers and WiR fans out there. You, my friend, deserve the Medal of Heroes.

I don't own Wreck-it Ralph, but I do own the art book.

* * *

Part Two- Cavities

Sugar Rush was, without a doubt, one of the most successful racing arcade games to have ever been imported from Japan. Between the catchy music, adorable characters, and spectacular controls, gamers from across the globe flocked to the consoles. The PCs enjoyed this popularity immensely, as it subdued any fears of being unplugged. Of course, even if the game WAS in danger of being powered down, two of the racers wouldn't really care. The two pranksters and best friends, Vanellope von Schweetz and Gloyd Orangeboar. As long as they could still hang out and trick people, they would be at home in Mortal Kombat. It was a subject that Vanellope had brought up one day as Gloyd was checking the oil in his kart.

"Mortal Kombat? Really?" Gloyd had asked, wiping off the cap to the oil tank. "Not Fix-it Felix, Jr?"

Vanellope crossed her legs as she shifted her position on the hood of the candy corn car. "Of course I'd stay in FiF. It was just an example, pumpkin brain," she sighed. "I'm just saying we're friends. Right?"

Gloyd screwed the cap back on, looked up, and smiled at her. "Right."

. . .

"Five months... has it really been that long?" she asked him one day.

"Five months since what?"

"Five months since I became President," she answered, lightly swatting the back of his head for his forgetfulness. "Seriously, Orangeboar, get with the program."

He huffed and crossed his arms over his candy-corn printed tee shirt. "Yeah, well, I'm sorry, Vanel, that I forget things. You know my memory is faulty. If you have a problem with it, bring it up with Turbo's ghost," he snapped. He normally wasn't this cruel- especially to Vanellope- but he was in a rotten mood today. Rancis and Swizz had mocked him again, not just for his friendship with the raven-haired leader but also for his orange cheeks. To rub salt into the wound, he had just lost a race against Crumbelina Di Carmello- one of- if not the- worst racers in the game by far. When he looked towards Vanellope, Gloyd saw her lip quiver for a second. Then he sighed. "I'm sorry. Really, I am. I just... look, I'll make it up to you. Or something. Kay?"

Vanellope glitched a little in her melancholy but nodded. "Kay."

. . .

Gloyd couldn't blame her for being so uptight about the whole affair. After all, they were already going through a bit of a rough patch- something neither of them wanted to bring up. It started when Gloyd spotted Vanellope in the Kart Bakery. Normally this wouldn't bother him- until he noticed somebody else was with her. And holding her hand.

Now why in the name of coding would _Rancis Fluggerbutter _be holding Vanellope's hand? It just didn't make sense! Rancis was their prey- that peanut butter cup- wearing, backstabbing, flamboyant stick-in-the-mud was their frequent target of pranks. Furthermore, he was one of those closest to Taffyta- Vanellope's sworn arch nemesis.

But maybe what stung the most about the ordeal, to Gloyd at least, was how... _happy_ Vanellope looked. She was smiling and laughing and touching Rancis' shoulder... the same kind of treatment she gave Gloyd. And it made him feel... jealous. Afraid. Afraid he was losing his best friend.

. . .

It wasn't until after the RRR of the day that Gloyd had a chance to confront Vanellope. When he finally did, though, the first words out of his mouth were "What are you THINKING hanging out with RANCIS? And what was with that Sweet Seeker?" He had just pulled ahead of Taffyta when the missile had struck him. He remember looking in his rearview mirror to see Vanellope mouthing the word "sorry."

Vanellope stuffed her hands into her hoodie's pockets. "He spent all of the stuff he ever had on a new kart, and it broke."

"Yeah, I know, I was there," he replied, tapping his foot impatiently.

"Well, I helped him make a new kart. The RV1. I only did it because he's a citizen of the Candy Kingdom and it's my job as President to help him," she finished. She glared at Gloyd, her brown-and-green eyes not blinking.

Gloyd gave a small sigh. "And the Seeker?"

She shuffled her feet and rubbed the back of her head. "It was an accident. I was aiming for Taffyta, but you know how high your sweetness level is."

Gloyd stalked away, grumbling to himself.

. . .

Rancis smiled to himself, whistling the Sugar Rush theme. First place... and it was all thanks to the glitch. He turned around when he heard an argument behind him- Vanellope and Gloyd, just as the mastermind of the plan predicted. It was with no dismay that Rancis tapped Taffyta on the shoulder and pointed out the feuding friends.

"Perfect," she purred, patting Rancis' back. "Good job, Fluggerbutter. Now for stage two." A tear began to roll down her cheek as she sent him to go fetch the "leader."

. . .

The fact of the matter was that not all of the racers took to Vanellope being in power as well as Gloyd did. The majority got along with her, but then there was Taffyta.

It was no secret that young Muttonfudge dreamed of being the headlining racer of Sugar Rush. She and her cronies- Candlehead and Rancis- often spent hours devising plans to overthrow King Candy. Naturally, things changed when the truth of Vanellope's identity was revealed, but the hatred Taffyta already had for the ponytailed racer grew. She tried her best to get along with her- she really did- but seeing Gloyd kiss her cheek... things boiled over.

Now, it wasn't that she liked Gloyd. In actuality, she held a strong animosity towards the Halloween-themed prankster. It was the whole nauseating idea of someone being more popular than her. And so she began to scheme. An epic plan that would rip the friends apart. But she needed help, so it seemed necessary to get the old crew back together. Alas, only one other PC was willing to stoop to such dirty tricks- not even the dimwitted Candlehead submitted to Taffyta's will; the mint-haired ditz was developing a nice bond with the elected leader of the Dessert Kingdom. It was Rancis Fluggbutter alone that volunteered to aid the strawberry queen. Even so, he felt sorry for doing this to Gloyd, one of his best friends (in the loosest sense- only because he was another male)... but if it meant making Taffyta happy, he would do it.

. . .

Gloyd went out for a quick drive, desperately trying to get his mind off of the sight of Rancis and Vanellope holding hands... it stung him deeply. Was there nothing sacred between him and Vanellope now?

He was dwelling on this thought when he noticed another kart, pulled off to the side of the road, the driver out of the vehicle and sobbing. It was the Pink Lightning, Gloyd realized with a jolt, and the girl... was _Taffyta_?! Why would Taffyta Muttonfudge be crying? He slowed down and pushed the gear into park as he drifted alongside her.

"Whatsa matter?" he called to her.

The blonde looked up, her mascara running. "Oh, Gloyd, it's awful!"

The brunnette climbed out of his kart and sat down beside her. "What? Did you break a nail?" His chocolate-brown eyes rolled.

Taffyta just wept all the harder. "N-no, it's... it's-s just... ever since Vanellope became a racer again, I've just... nobody's been picking me, Gloyd... I'm so lonely..." She gestured towards the front axle of the pink roadster. "And n-now, I've got a flat..."

Gloyd may not have liked Taffyta, but he wasn't unreasonable. He sighed and asked, "Want me to fix it?"

She looked up and gave a watery smile. "Would you? Oh, thank you, Gloyd!" Suddenly, her arms were around Gloyd's shoulders in a strangling hug. Much to his surprise, the pumpkin-headed boy found his arms wrapping around her in turn.

. . .

Vanellope watched in horror as Gloyd hugged her rival. How DARE he? Taffyta was the epitome of evil! She didn't belong in a game called Sugar Rush, she belonged in a bag of Sour Patch Kids or even Warheads!

And fixing her tire? He never bothered to fix any problems with the Lickety Split 2... Vanellope glitched with fear as an idea crossed her mind.

_Does Gloyd like Taffyta more than me?_

. . .

Taffyta smiled to herself. "Orangeboar and Von Schweetz... they must HATE each other!" she squealed with laughter.

Behind her, Rancis nodded eagerly. "It's great, isn't it?"

"I can't believe they fell for it! AGAIN! I knew she was dumb when she thought I wanted her forgiveness back after Wreck-It came, but this is just ridiculous! And the fact that she hit him with that Seeker... it's priceless! They're going to annihilate one another! And then the throne... WILL BE OURS!" The duo's howls of chortles echoed throughout Candy Cane Forest. Finally, the Muttonfudge-Fluggerbutter Reign would begin.

. . .

Vanellope awoke to the honking of a horn. A kart horn, one she was very familiar with. She yawned and blinked, then shuffled across the room from her four-poster bed to the balcony. Stepping out into the rising sun, she looked down to find a splash of orange and yellow in the driveway up to the castle. The Kernel. What a surprise. Vanellope scowled and walked back into her room, but just as she was snuggling back under her sheets, Sour Bill called. "VANELLOPE! THAT BOY'S HERE AGAIN!" With a sigh, she rolled out from the comfortable sleeping furniture and poked her head out the door.

"I'm not goin' anywhere with that stinkbrain!" she hollered. The former glitch was sick and tired of the prankster. Even though they had agreed not to discuss their sightings with enemies, the subject somehow snuck into each conversation, disguised in some way, much like a cybug. After Gloyd had snapped at her yesterday, she wanted nothing to do with him anymore. Sour Bill appeared at the foot of the stairs. "He's says it's important," the butler replied. A low growl escaped Vanellope's lips. Important, huh? Well, Gloyd was the only other racer that knew Ralph fairly well. Perhaps he was being a messenger boy. "Fine..." she muttered. "But lemme get dressed." Bill nodded, as the President was currently wearing a green polka-dotted nightgown, her candied hair a bigger tangled mess than usual.

It didn't take long before the raven-ponytailed heroine was sliding down the banister into the entryway of the palace. Gloyd was standing there, a picnic basket next to his feet. Vanellope kicked it gently.

"Watch it!" the boy exclaimed, wrapping his arms around the carrier. "There's food in there."

Vanellope snorted. "News flash, we live in a world made of food. What's so special about this?"

Gloyd gave a smirk, one of deviousness and excitement. "Wouldn't you like to know? It's too bad, only those that beat me at a race to Candy Cane Forest can find out." He took in a breath to look at the young girl, but was met only by an empty space and the sound of an engine revving.

. . .

Vanellope pulled the licorice pullstring out of her mouth as Gloyd finally drove into view. She smirked. "Now what's in that basket?" she called.

Gloyd shimmied out of the seat and stomped to the trunk. "Geez, Your Highness, it's not fair when you take a head start." He gingerly placed the basket on the ground as he sat next to her. "And why are you stopping here? I mean, sure it's a nice spot, but you could've pulled over at the beginning of the forest, not the cavity-inducing middle," he groaned, much to the other's shock. "Cavity-inducing" was basically a swear word to the Sugar Rush racers. Gloyd must really be frustrated. Still, there was no denying the spot was beautiful- a pristine blue lake dotted with Pocky reeds, an exceptionally large tree looming over them to the side. Vanellope pointed at another point of interest down the way- a frosting swamp. "That's where I met Ralph," she said. "'Sides, this place is cool. Real water for a change. But seriously-" she took a swipe at the wooden pannier- "what's inside?"

Gloyd rolled his eyes, gave a small chuckle, and lifted the lid, humming the Zelda treasure chest theme as he did so. He laughed some more as Vanellope's eyes grew to the size of real- life quarters.

"TAPPER'S ROOT BEER FLOATS?! SWEET MOTHER OF MONKEY MILK, GLOYD, YOU'RE AMAZING!" In a flash, her arms flew around his neck. He hugged her back, happy to see his friend pleased with him again. The dark-haired girl poked around the hamper some more. "And sandwiches from Burger Time, nice... thanks, man. This is awesome."

Gloyd grinned even wider, if it was possible for his pixels to be stretched that far. "Anytime, Vanel."

. . .

The empty glasses from Tapper's laid to the side, contents guzzled down. Said guzzlers were lying on their backs, shoulders touching, on the lemon grass shore of the pond. Gloyd, with a yawn, sat up. Vanellope followed suit and wiped a bead of sweat from her brow. "Phew, it's gettin' warm..."

The pumpkin-capped boy nodded in agreement. "Wanna cool off?" His companion responded with the affirmative. Gloyd gave a malicious smile and shoved her into the water.

"WHAT THE HECK, ORANGEBOAR?" Vanellope screeched once she surfaced from her surprise swim and taken several gulps of air. He didn't respond with words, but rather just laughed, sounding bizarrely similar to a howler monkey. Vanellope frowned. "Farthead..." she muttered to herself. Gloyd continued to shriek with mirth.

Without fully comprehending what she was doing, Vanellope had glitched herself out of the lake and behind the giggling prankster. As she realized her situation, a thought summoned a vicious grin to her face. _Taste your own medicine_, she reflected, and pushed Gloyd just as he did to her just moments before.

A string of obscenities no nine-year-old should know (Gloyd only knew them from the teens that would play Sugar Rush) died in his mouth as Vanellope screamed "cannonball!" and plunged into the lake. Instead, he satisfied himself by sending a wave of liquid into the girl racer's face. She retaliated, and soon the pair were in the heated battle of a splash fight, any notions of revenge for both a shove or a kind gesture to another all but forgotten.

. . .

Vanellope pulled her way back onto dry ground, then held out her hand for her friend's aid. Gloyd took it and kept holding it, even after he was out of the water. "I'm fr-freezing," he said, a shiver causing the stutter. Vanellope gave a small nod; she was cold as well.

"Follow me," she whispered, shaking her hair like a dog before standing up and trudging to her kart. Gloyd went to his, started the engine, and drove behind her.

. . .

"No way," Gloyd breathed. Vanellope just stuck her hands in her still-soaking hoodie pocket. She had to admit she had the same reaction when she first found this place herself. An unfinished level, hidden inside of one of the biggest and most recognizable landmarks in the Dessert Kingdom: Diet Cola Mountain.

"Yes way. And you said you were chilly?" She picked up a stray stale crumb off the cake floor and chucked it towards the stalactites dripping from the top of the cavern. The projectile nicked the lowest-dangling cylinder, a single disk of white plunging towards the steaming core below. "Watch out!" she yelled, ducking. Gloyd blinked, then soon saw the reasoning behind the self-protection. He dodged around the droplets of boiling cola, screaming a bit after the dazzling (and dangerous) display was complete. "Geez, it won't kill ya, pumpkin brain. Calm down."

The brunette boy huffed and sat on a chocolate boulder. "How do you know about this place, anyway?"

A pensive look spread across the ebony-haired President. "Um, well... back when I was a glitch, when King Candy was in charge... I lived here. See? That was my bed." She motioned at a pile of candy wrappers. "It was safe here. No one knew about it. I wasn't afraid of being teased or hurt or anything."

Gloyd stared at the ground. "I'm... I'm sorry, Vanel. I didn't... I mean, back then..." he rambled, before his eyes drooped and he fell to the side. Vanellope was at his side in an instant, thanks to her glitching. She poked him, called his name, but to no response. She was about to go get Sour Bill or Ralph when she heard him snore. He had just passed out from being too wound up._ And probably a sugar high, too..._ Vanellope mused, recalling how the boy had devoured a good portion of the Pocky reeds back at the lake. _Not to mention all that root beer._

Vanellope looked to the side of the sleeping boy and spotted something... orange? She knew Diet Cola Mountain like the back of her hand; there wasn't anything orange in there. She concluded with a jolt that it was a pumpkin... Gloyd's pumpkin hat, to be precise. This really was a huge shock. Although it was common knowledge among both racers and gamers that Gloyd had hair (although the arguments of whether it was green or brown were still going strong), nobody had ever seen the boy without his trademark headgear. Some even thought it was physically attached to him and it was impossible to remove, that the developers hadn't drawn anything underneath and was therefore an unchangeable feature. The truth of the debate was the image before Vanellope- Gloyd did indeed have a full head of hair, and furthermore, it was brown. A silky chocolate brown, a bit unkempt (but that could have been hat-head), with a little flip by the ears like the top of a Snicker's bar. And the girl was entranced by it. Gloyd looked so peaceful asleep, his eyelids fluttering gently as he breathed deeply. More peaceful than he ever did awake. Seeing him so calm, not racing about, rambunctious and obnoxious in his pranks... it was a nice change of pace. It almost made him look... cute.

A memory flashed in the back of Vanellope's brain. Gloyd winning the RRR, she telling him he was the winner and that he need not have raced in her place, him leaning down and kissing her cheek. She blushed at the recollection, but carefully placed her finger on his orange dimple. Hesitantly, cautiously, she bent down and placed her lips on the hair just behind his ear. Much to her surprise, he smelt of pumpkins, even his chocolatey hair. She stroked his cheek caringly, thinking about the day they had shared_. He really is my best friend. He made me angry, but he did all this to make it up... I'm sorry, Gloyd._ Her eyes slid shut and she collapsed from exhaustion.

. . .

Hours later the duo had returned to Vanellope's castle. Shortly after walking through the door, the girl turned to face her ally. "Alright, Gloyd. Let's take this bull by the horns. What's going on with us fighting?"

Gloyd sighed, "I thought that was obvious. I saw you with Rancis, you saw me with Taffyta. End of story. 'Sides, weren't we not talking about this anyway?"

"Yeah, well, something's up. Now that I think about it, Rancis was the one who told me to go to the area where you and Taffyta were. That's suspicious, don't ya think?" Vanellope asked. She plopped down in a jellybean bag chair in the parlor.

Gloyd remained standing, but nodded. "Yeah. It is. But maybe it's just a fluke, I mean, after all, you were the one who told me to come to the Kart Bakery." The last part was in a low, accusatory growl, giving the sense the boy was questioning the girl's motive.

Vanellope cocked her head to the left. "What? I didn't tell you anything. How did you even get this invite?"

"There was this note at my house, in your handwriting, telling me to see you at the Bakery. I just followed the instructions." His feet shuffled as he felt the tension escalate once more in the room. "If you wait a sec, it might still be in my glove compartment..."

"Get it." Gloyd was out of the room so quickly, a breeze was left behind. It was barely a minute later when he returned, brandishing a piece of paper. Apparently, his speed behind the wheel translated to his feet as well.

"See? Your handwriting." He handed the sheet to the former glitch. It read:

_Gloyd-_

_Meet me at the Kart Bakery in 25 minutes. I got a surprise for you._

_Vanellope_

She blinked, it was a very convincing forgery. All the letters were correct, down to the tiniest curl. She glanced up at her fellow racer. "Huh. Maybe I did invite you there. Funny, though, I don't remember it..."

"Maybe Turbo locked up our memories again?" he joked, but a stern look from the present silenced that. Vanellope studied the sheet some more. _Wait a sec... something like this, I wouldn't call him Gloyd..._"I'd call him pumpkin brain," she finished aloud. The boy looked up as his nickname was used. "Wouldn't I?" she asked him. "Plus I would sign it Vanel, I like that name, it's your name for me. I like it, a lot." She blushed as she realized what she had said and buried herself in the note once more. Perhaps there were more flaws?

Gloyd, on the other hand, was pondering something of his own. Namely, the style of writing. It was so... formal. Knowing her, Vanellope would've probably wrote something more along the lines of "Be at the Kart Bakery soon or I'll sic Ralph on you." Finally, the pen. Vanellope only used green ink, the same color as her hoodie. This thought had just come to him as the President looked up again.

"Gloyd, do I seem like the kind of person that would use sparkly pink pen?" She brought the letter close to her nose and inhaled. "That's strawberry scented?"

The questioned shook his head. "I was just thinking that. No, you're not. But now that I think about it..." His face scrunched in thought, then returned to normal. "Taffyta's signature flavor is strawberry!"

Vanellope grinned. "Exactly, Orangeboar. This note was written by Muttonfudge. But that doesn't... Rancis!" Gloyd made a sound somewhere between shock and disgust. "No, Rancis is in on this! She and Fluggerbutter are in cahoots! That's how he knew where you and her would be... Dang it." She flicked a hair behind her ear. "We've been owned, Gloyd. Heck, I think we've been pwned. But you know what we do to pwners?" She barely suppressed a cackle.

Gloyd grabbed her hand and let out a silent chuckle. "We pwn them back!"

. . .

"I can't believe this! After all our hard work, they STILL are friends!" Taffyta screeched as she watched the events unfolding on the security camera she had hidden inside of the castle. Rancis sat silently behind her. He knew from previous experience not to get involved when Taffyta blew a fuse. Unless if she was in danger of doing so literally. The blonde girl stomped and growled, not realizing the truth of the situation in her defeat.

Because the truth was merely that vanilla and pumpkin were the perfect team. They complemented one another. Even if they were to be wrenched apart, they would somehow rejoin to create the ultimate mix. That was what Gloyd and Vanellope's friendship meant. But perhaps there was another factor, something stronger, holding them together... but that was something they would not come to realize or even fully understand for a while longer.

End Part Two

* * *

So, observant readers among you may have noticed I mentioned part three in the beginning Author's Note. This is true. Part three will come eventually, with the most fluff ever seen in this story. The reason I say "eventually" is that, because of my new schedule at school, I'll be super busy until the summer. I'll do my best, but it might be a while. Until then, live laugh and glomp! (That is a quote by Uncle Yo. Please acknowledge him if you use it.)


End file.
